1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of configuring a radio including a digital AM/FM tuner, and, more particularly, to a method of configuring a radio including a digital AM/FM tuner for a particular tuner region of the world.
2. Description of the Related Art
With transportation of people and things around the world becoming increasingly easier and inexpensive, it is becoming more necessary to build smart devices that are able to automatically detect and adjust to the changing environment. Conventional digital AM/FM tuners cannot be taken from one part of the world to another because the different tuner frequencies, and different spacing between frequencies, used in different tuner regions of the world. That is, because a tuner is designed to operate with a certain set of frequencies, the tuner may be useless if taken out of the particular tuner region for which the tuner was configured.
Referring to FIG. 1a, in the FM band, North America (encompassing USA, Canada and Mexico) utilizes the frequency range of 87.7 to 107.9 MHz; Japan utilizes the frequency range of 76.0 to 90.0 MHz; and Europe along with the rest of the world (RoW) use the frequency range of 87.5 to 108.0 MHz for FM broadcasting. In the AM band (FIG. 1b), there is more commonality in the utilized frequency range, but the frequency differences or steps between adjacent frequencies vary widely across the globe. North America utilizes a 10 kHz frequency step; South America utilizes a 5 kHz step; and the rest of the world (RoW) utilizes a 9 kHz step.
Consumer electronics digital radio tuners include different versions of software depending upon which tuner region the radio is intended for. The selection of the version of tuner region software may be performed through a factory defined calibration during the manufacturing process. The software that tailors the tuner to a particular tuner region involves setting up the operational frequency range, the frequency step between adjacent frequencies, and other predefined variables to ensure proper operation.
Currently the end user would have to go to an automobile dealership or in order to have the radio configured to the appropriate tuner region. Likewise, second-hand foreign automobiles imported to Japan require importers to often fit a “converter” to down-convert the 87.5 to 107.9 MHz or 87.7 to 107.9 MHz band to the frequencies that the radio is configured to accept (76 to 90 MHz). Although this method works to an extent, there are disadvantages that can result in poor reception. The converter “compresses” the frequencies making the stations appear closer together.
Another radio convention or standard that differs between regions of the world is the use of Radio Data System (RDS) and Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS). RDS is a standard from the European Broadcasting Union for sending small amounts of digital information using conventional FM radio broadcasts. The RDS system standardizes the transmission format of several types of information, such as the time of day and identification of the track, artist and radio station. RBDS is the United States version of RDS.
Yet another problem is that the functions required of the controls on the user interface, i.e., the Human Machine Interface (HMI) of the radio are different across the various tuner regions of the world. More particularly, the operations triggered by pressing keys or pushbuttons, rotating knobs or dials, or by spoken commands require different configurations depending upon the conventions of the particular tuner regions. Thus, if a radio is moved from one tuner region to another, the controls of the user interface will not be able to perform the intended functions. In conventional radios, the setting of the tuner region and the HMI is performed through manual calibration, which is typically performed at the end of the assembly line during the manufacturing process.
Accordingly, what is neither anticipated nor obvious in view of the prior art is any method of enabling a tuner to be reconfigured when the tuner is moved from one tuner region of the world to another. What is also neither anticipated nor obvious in view of the prior art is any method of reconfiguring the user interface controls of a radio in correspondence with the conventions of the tuner region in which the tuner is disposed.